A significant number of the people are confined to move about in wheelchairs all or part of the time and face many challenges. While some of their problems are solved by the limited mobility afforded them through the wheelchair, other problems stem from the design, the weight and the amount of storage space required for conventional cumbersome wheelchairs.
This invention relates to portable wheelchairs capable of folding or collapsing that have been in use for many years to accommodate wheelchair users who travel and need to take their wheelchairs with them or store them in space limited compartments. Typically, the wheelchairs that are designed to fold or collapse incorporate a pair of diagonally extending cross members, secured between a right and left frame member which scissor together to collapse the wheelchair sides. Although increasing the portability of the wheelchair, the typical cross member frame sacrifices strength and stability. Additionally, standard cross member frame construction for portable wheelchairs is bulky and heavy, making transportation or storage difficult at best. Consequently, portable wheelchairs have not been designed for easy storage in standard luggage compartments on airlines, small to medium sized automobiles, trains and other forms of transportation.
Wheelchairs are generally designated as either “active” or “passive” depending upon how they are used. An active wheelchair is a wheelchair that is operated by the wheelchair user. Active wheelchairs generally have large rear wheels with a circular handgrip ring attached to the wheels. The wheelchair occupant propels the wheelchair himself by applying a force to the handgrip ring to turn the rear wheels.
On the other hand, a passive wheelchair is designed to be pushed by an individual to transport the wheelchair occupant sitting in the wheelchair. These passive wheelchairs generally have much smaller rear wheels than the active wheelchair and usually include a bar attached to the back seat of the wheelchair for the individual to grip while pushing the passive wheelchair.